AN EAST-END ORIGINAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XXXIX, Issue 2805, 19 September 1883, Page 3

AN EAST-END ORIGINAL.

{Pall Mall Gazette.) , If the student of human nature m ; search of now specimens were to penetrate eastward into one of the main thoroughfares of the " joyless city of two millions," and happened to glance at one or two of the street vendors, ho might not porhaps be struck at first sight by one of the moat J unique of men, who would offer him a bouquet of flowers for a modest sum. Yet he would be right grateful for an introduction to thiß grey-headed, unprepossessing old fellow if he could guess what was m him. For aixty-sovon years this man has * made Ins bread by retailing flowers to an r uninquiring public. From a boy sis

years of age to his present threescore nnd thirteen he has lived by this precarious trade, and still has a fund of vigor such as puts to shame many a young man who lias been consumed by his few years of life. Ho lias managed, m his quiet, observant way, to storo up a useful magazine of knowledge, and is still athirst for more. His last ambition, for instance, is to master spectrum analysis ; his last achievement is to read with care and intelligence Darwin's "Formation of Vegetable. Mould," which he, as he says, especially enjoyed, as he had already a fair acquaintance with "Tho Origin of Species" and tho " Expression of tho Emotions." Although ho has littto reading m the beUes-lcttrts to boast of, and very littlo knowledge of art, ho lias an intense love of tho boautiful m nature, and appreciates tho clouds ho lias watched so long, and tho flowers ho has traded m, as thoroughly as if ho were master of Ruskin's works, and had been trained m a school of culture. His botanical studios consist m a well-applied knowledge of the Linnioan system, which, as ho knows, ho keeps to, finding tho more exact science "Too difficult to be worth acquiring for ono who has learned tho other." Upon this subject he will talk, not volubly, but freely, and be glad to lind a listener, a treat not ofton enjoyed. IJiit natural scinnco ia not the tiling lio takes ruoat interest m. The march of thought, tho future of England and humanity, arc subjects on which he has pondered not a little after his own manner. Ho has seen, ho says, Individualism oomc to a head. lie has scon it fall, as Robert Ovren predicted, and bo rejoices at it 3 failure. He waa a friend and disciple of Owen's, and holds his master m a shrino of his memory, and believes that .Socialism is both tho hopo and tho certainty of mankind m tho future. Politic* and social reform ho watchca with the utmost keenness, and has a great belief m the Prime Minister, as a man whoso views develop with his time. Ili« hopes, moreover, aro very high, and it is with no foiyned regret that ho laments that he shall not live to see tho good futtiro which is close to us. lie is too earnest to be othorniso than shocked at Hunan's summary of his ago as amusing, which was suggested to him by a slightly flippant acquaintance. Of courso he was a Chartist m his time, and also had great hopes of the French Communo m 1871, as ho now has of the English land nationalization movement. Not long ago ho astonished abmall company of men, who were discussing this subject, by a vigorous littlo speech, of which tho following is an extract given from memory : "Owen sv\v a great vision, two mighty armies facing each other. On ono side wero the kings, the princes, tho dukes, the grandees ; on tho other woro tho people, ragged and hungry, their hands soiled with work. The people aro clamorous. ' Soldiers, go forward,' said the lungs, ' do your work ;' but tho soldiers grounded their arms. ' Thcso men aro our brothers.' Then the kings and nobles feared lust their Stato should be overthrown, and as a last effort said, 'Black army advance, do your work ; the peoplo are still superstitious ;' and tho black army still hold them down. I toll you that, as it was said to Owen, theso reforms will not como about under any religion now on earth. Then " He had at least ono clerical auditor. This old gentleman was takon lntoly into the country with somo other folk of his neighborhood to a gentleman's seat, where ho met with a young clergyman who tried to mako him admire the tree 3 and grasses. Tho old man replied by gathering a handful of tho latter and asking his ivould-bo patron their names, and to his confusion giving them himself iv Latin and English. Finally ho advised his young friend to study botany. " There is a great need, for instance, of a more careful study of the Cryptoyamiu among botanists," he said, "In twentyfour houra you can produco them upon any animal or vegotablo substance. You havo heard of Miss Edgoworth ? " His auditor assented. " Perhaps havo read her tales i" The confounded curata admitted tho charge. " She was a great cryptogamist, and — " Hero tho young man beat a hasty retreat, with magnified ideas of East End intelligence Tho same day tho old Socialist was called upon to return thanks to his entertainers. Ho astonished them by a woll-ivorded littlo speech, m which ho thanked them for being " Socialists for a day," and expressed tho groat ploasure it gavo to the poor to bo ho kindly treated, and although his principles forbado the uso of titles, he sincerely thanked them each by namo, putting Mr and Mr 3 instead of more pretentious terms. And this so naturally, and with such an air of humility, that it could not give an offence. Each name was accompanied by a polito bow of tho venerable iron-grey head. "If this were the uso theso parks and grounds wero oftener put to," ho remarked privately to a sympathiser, "we should have land nationalization delayed indefinitely." If tho reader were to follow this man homo it would bo to a common lodginghouso m a back slum, where, amid scenes of squalor and noisy blackguardism, he sits thinking or reading hi 3 newspaper or borrowed book, and if ho has theso comforts misses no other. Ho takes his meals at the "houso" of his married daughter (rather m her room) where what few books he has are stored. Among his neighbors ho is taciturn, and avoids conversation, and rarely shows his weather-scarred old faco at any convivial meetings, but is a pleasant companion whon he chooses. His trado brings him m on the average four shillings a week, of which two go m rent for his lodginghou.se and the rost supports body and mind. An affectionate nature he has, which readily admits to friendship any fairly intelligent person whoso views are not diametrically opposed to his own. He is no saint, however, and lives a life bettor, indeed, than those around him, but not, perhaps, quito ideal. Tho thing that is most striking about him is his thorough appreciation of lifo as well worth living, and his youthfnlness of heart. In fact, whon Whitechiipel returns the compliments of tho West-end, and sends a missionary to that benighted quarter of London m return for tho many inferior peoplo who havo invaded tho East-end as spiritual Cossacks, this old fellow will bo tho chosen envoy. Ho will havo very much to teach, and will bo able to combine satiro and sense, earnestness and thought, m a way that might secure tho repentance of some of his Hock. A Tory or a " masher " always excites his pity, and luxurious dilettanti hia anger and contempt. I i. — .